


The Lance Dance Academy

by SleepySsnail



Series: Fly Me To The Moon [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Coran has crazy training ideas, Dancer Lance, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Lance is a master dancer, Lance teaches the paladins how to dance, Swing Dancing, everyone learns something, he got da skills, keith is reluctant, lance in general, only for this one really, shiro is a klutz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-11-14 14:39:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11210142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepySsnail/pseuds/SleepySsnail
Summary: Ballroom dancing in space was never something Lance thought he'd actually be doing, until he was doing it. Now he has to teach the other paladins how to not kill each other and work as a pair to the music, all while convincing Shiro and Coran that dance isn't as easy as it looks.





	1. Swing

“How is it you were able to dodge most of those training bombs Coran was throwing at us earlier?”

Lance looked up from the Altean play-doh he had been molding to look at Pidge curiously.  The Green Lion’s hangar wasn’t a place Lance normally would’ve normally been hanging out in, other than the fact that he wanted to watch Pidge tinker with the latest piece of Galra tech they had salvaged.  Standing up and feeling the ligaments in his back crack, Lance stretched his arms above his head while Pidge tapped on her computer.

The training Coran had put the paladins through earlier that day was a dodging exercise, in which the Altean would launch globes containing different substances at the paladins.  The goal was to doge the globes without getting hit, and to be able to predict where the other paladins were going to move to.  In the end, Lance was the only one who had been able to make it through the exercise without being hit more than a couple times.

Turning to answer Pidge, Lance said with a smile, “I got the moves is all.  Pure talent.”

“Yeah sure,” Pidge muttered, turning to face Lance she asked, “How did you really do it?  You’re as klutzy as they come, yet you managed to do the best out of all of us.”

Smirking, Lance teased, “You wanna know the secret?”

Pidge paused before nodding and stated, “I could find out my own way if you don’t tell me.”

Making a face, Lance raised both hands and said, “You could, but I’ll just say it straight up and make it easy for you.”

Pidge lost interest in the tech and faced Lance completely, remembering how Coran said team Voltron would be working on that exercise every day until they got it right.  Realizing he had Pidge’s full attention, Lance felt embarrassment rise up in him as he explained, “Dancing.  That’s all there is to it.”

Pidge raised an eyebrow before her expression became bored.  Crossing her arms, Pidge stated, “That doesn’t help me.  I don’t have rhythm and even if I did, ‘dancing’ doesn’t help me in the slightest.”

“I can help with that,” Lance said, holding out a hand and offering a smile.

Pidge eyed Lance as if he was up to something, before standing up and moving away from the mess of wires and metal.  Lance straightened up, the feeling of nervousness filing his chest as he said, “It’s not just my own amazing moves, but ballroom dancing I know.  It requires timing to stay on beat but also improvisation, that’s how I figured out the pattern of how Coran was sending the bombs out.  The pattern he used this time matched up with swing.”

Pidge made a confused face and Lance held his hands out in permission before taking the green paladin’s right hand in his left and held it loosely.  Moving Pidge’s left arm to rest on his forearm, Lance said, “Swing is a fast paced dance that requires moving at all times.  The basic for the step is three quick steps to your right, three quick steps to your left without turning, and one rock step which is kinda like taking a step but rocking on it instead of moving forward.  Not everyone uses the term rock step, sometimes they say, ‘side step, back step, front step,’ and you rock accordingly.”

Raising an eyebrow, Pidge asked, “Why is that important?”

Lance smiled as he said, “Cuz I’m teaching you the basic step right now.  It’s easy, just follow my lead and always start with your right foot.  That’s the best part about ballroom; girls always start with their right foot, while boys start with their left.”

Smirking slightly, Pidge mumbled, “Girls are always right.”

Shrugging, Lance said, “That’s one way of remembering it.  C’mon, step on my count.”

Counting the beat, Lance led Pidge in the basic swing step, starting slowly and bringing the count faster as she caught onto what she was doing.  Finally bringing his left hand up Lance led Pidge into an underarm turn and smiled before letting go of her hand to clap.  Pointing directly at Pidge, Lance stated, “You, my friend, understand the basic step.”

Glancing at the ground, Pidge said, “Not really.  I kept moving my feet wrong on the ‘rock steps’ and I slowed you down.”

Waving his hand, Lance commented, “Rock steps are weird, in my opinion.  Also, ballroom, especially swing, isn’t about the individual but the pair.  I slowed down to match you, and with practice you could get better.”

Realizing he had started talking like Shiro, Lance quieted down and nodded towards the Galra tech and asked, “So, what are you doing over there exactly?”

“You think I could get better?” Pidge asked, ignoring Lance’s question.

Swallowing, Lance nodded and said, “I mean, if you wanted to.  I think you have the knack for swing and maybe a few others.”

Pidge grinned and jumped in Lance’s face before asking with more excitement, “Does that mean I could beat that dumb training exercise?”

Lance smirked and said playfully, “Who knows.  You’ll figure out tomorrow, if Coran keeps the pattern the same as today.”


	2. Tango

“Tell Pidge to take her dumb skipping somewhere else.”

Lance turned away from the gladiator he was fighting and said louder than necessary, “End training session!”

Pushing his hair back from his forehead, Lance wandered over to where he had his towel and placed his bayard down before turning his attention to Keith.  The red paladin had his arms crossed and looked at Lance with obvious annoyance.  Usually it was Keith on the training deck, but today Lance felt like he needed the extra practice and hadn’t bothered to mention that to the other paladins or Allura.  Lance raised an eyebrow in amusement before rubbing the back of his neck with his towel and stating, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Keith.”

“Yes you do,” Keith argued, taking an aggressive step towards Lance, “Pidge literally grabbed me three times and tried to make me do this skip thing with her down a hallway.”

“It’s called swing, not a ‘skip thing’ Keith.  Please try to learn the difference,” Lance said, dropping his towel and yawning tiredly.

Keith looked perplexed and looked like he was about to argue before he changed his mind and asked slowly, “Pidge said you were teaching her the skip—swing, and that it helped her with the dodge bombs.”

Lance nodded, he was proud of Pidge’s improvement over the few lessons he had given her.  The green paladin had been able to maneuver around the other paladins and work better with Lance when they were piloting their lions and in general.  Keith glared at the ground of the training deck as if it had personally offended him.  Tilting his head to the side, Lance smirked lopsidedly and took a step closer to Keith so he could get in the other boy’s personal space.

Keith mumbled something and Lance blinked before asking teasingly, “What was that?  I couldn’t hear you.”

Keith made a growling noise in the back of his throat while Lance stood up straight and crossed his arms.  Clenching his fists, Keith made a face of discomfort before asking, “Show me how to dodge the right way.  Like how you showed Pidge.”

Not hesitating, Lance leaned back on one foot and thought for a moment before saying, “Okay.  C’mere.”

Keith glanced up from the floor, confusion written on his face.  Lance motioned with his hand for Keith to hurry up before he said, “Lose the jacket.  This might take a while if you suck.”

Keith looked like he was fighting back an insult, but shed his jacket and left it on the floor next to Lance’s towel.  Standing in front of Lance, Keith asked, “What’re you doing?”

“Trying to figure out what to show you,” Lance answered, smirking and shaking an amusing thought from his mind, “I think you’d look pretty stupid skipping around like Pidge if I taught you swing.”

Pointing at Lance, Keith exclaimed, “You told me to stop calling it skipping and you just said that!”

Rolling his eyes, Lance snapped his fingers and said with an amused smile, “Tango.  That should be easy enough for a mullet brain like you.”

Keith cocked his head to the side as Lance started talking, explaining to the red paladin about which foot was the starter foot.  Looking confused already, Keith repeated, “The girls’ starter foot is the right, and the boys’ is the left.  Boys always start forward, and girls always start back.”

Lance nodded, impressed Keith could remember that much and spit it back out.  Stepping closer to Keith, Lance held his hands up and said, “Okay then, dance position is next.  Swing is a casual dance, and tango is a lot more, um, personal.”

Keith had a blank look on his face and Lance sighed in exasperation.  Moving so he was standing side by side with Keith, Lance held his arms up in the position for tango and explained, “You need a big stance for tango, yeah get your arms up like that.  Your left hand holds the girl’s right so keep your fingers together and your thumb separate.  Your right hand goes on the girl’s back so you can move her.”

Stepping in front of the red paladin, Lance let his left arm rest on Keith’s shoulder, while he slid his hand into Keith’s.  Biting the inside of his lip, Lance shifted and grabbed Keith’s right hand and moved it up so it was pressing against the bottom of his shoulder blade.  Keith looked stiff as Lance explained, “You want your hand there so you can turn the girl.  Go any lower on her, and you deserve what comes to you.”

Nodding, Keith asked, “What does this have to do with dodging?”

Lance smirked and said, “We’re getting to that.  The footwork is what you want to know, but if you wanna learn that I’m gonna teach you the proper way.  The basic step for tango is really easy, here watch.”

Pulling away from Keith. Lance turned so the boy was watching his back and said, “Tango basic have five steps to it.  Three going straight forward, then one side step, and in the last you bring your feet together.”

Showing Keith the boy’s role, Lance turned around and asked, “Think you can manage that mullet?”

Keith’s look of dread turned into determination within moments and he assumed the dance position without needing to be told.  Lance smirked and put himself in the girl’s position and said, “I’ll count, you lead.”

Nodding, Keith stepped on beat to Lance’s counting, only tripping up when it came to bringing his feet together.  Ceasing the count, Lance ordered, “Okay, change of plans.  Once you start, spell the word ‘tango’ with each step you take.”

“Why?” Keith asked, irritation flashing on his face as he almost dropped his arms.  Huffing indignantly, Keith readjusted his grip on Lance’s back and started spelling as he moved, “T-A-N-G-oh.”

Lance felt a smug look creep onto his features as realization appeared on Keith’s face.  Blinking like he had been slapped across the face, Keith locked eyes with Lance and said suspiciously, “It can’t be that easy.”

“Oh it is.  It just took your mullet too long to figure it out.”

What could’ve been a smile tugged at the corner of Keith’s mouth as he asked, “One more time?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there ya go! I hoped you peoples liked this bit!


	3. Waltz

Lance wasn’t even surprised when Shiro approached him about the dancing.  It hadn’t been broadcasted to everyone on the ship that Lance was teaching Pidge and Keith swing and tango, but suspicions had started to arise when Keith mentioned he and Lance needed to train without interruption.  Lance had figured Pidge would be more open with learning swing, and he was proven right when the girl would practice the basic step when she was bored.

On the other hand, Keith was less willing to tell anyone Lance was teaching him to dance of all things.  Whenever Keith hinted at another lesson, Lance would have to make sure the training deck was completely empty or teach Keith in his room.  The red paladin wasn’t bad at the tango, he was more uncomfortable with the idea of admitting he didn’t know how to do something, but that only made him more determined to learn.

In truth, Lance was enjoying the time he spent with Keith and Pidge, the companionship eased the ever-present feeling of homesickness.  That’s why it didn’t faze Lance when someone entered the Blue Lion’s hangar in the middle of the night.  Lance had taken to wandering the castle or sitting with Blue whenever he couldn’t sleep, and he was used to people barging in on him when he wasn’t expecting it.

Looking up to see Shiro didn’t even make Lance feel guilty about not telling anyone where he was.  Shiro walked quietly up to Lance and leaned against Blue’s paw, before prompting, “I heard from Keith you’re doing one on one training sessions.”

Nodding, Lance fought back a smile and said, “Get to the point Shiro, just ask your question.”

Shiro blinked before offering a nervous smile and saying, “That obvious huh?  Just be honest with me, okay Lance?”

Lance nodded and listened to Shiro as he rambled for a moment before asking clearly, “What kind of sparring are you doing?  You look like you’re slacking, but you’re not, and whatever you’re doing is making Keith and Pidge act differently.”

“Is that bad?” Lance asked, shifting so he was sitting on Blue’s paw with his legs crossed.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Shiro said, holding his hands up as if to make peace, “I just wanna know what you’re doing.  You three move faster and are more in sync than with the rest of us so—”

“All I did was show ‘em my moves,” Lance interrupted, smiling proudly.

Shiro had confusion written on his face and looked as if he was about to ask another question.  Sliding off Blue, Lance stretched his arms and explained, “C’mere.  I’ll show you what I’m doing, then it’ll make sense.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow but joined Lance a little ways away from Blue.  Lance gave a quick explanation on the starter foot, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Shiro so he could demonstrate the proper arm position for the waltz.  Bewilderment was plain on Shiro’s face as he tried to figure out where Lance was going with the long explanation, but he was soon answered when Lance ordered him to get into the dance position.

“You’re teaching them how to dance?”

Lance nodded and leaned back on one foot, examining Shiro’s stance.  Moving Shiro’s left arm slightly, Lance nodded in approval before saying, “It’s a good exercise.  Besides, I’m the best teacher there is.”

Dropping his arms, Shiro shook his head and commented, “This isn’t as important as actual training, Lance.  Besides, anyone can dance.”

Lance crossed his arms, feeling personally insulted.  His older sister had taught him how to dance and it took time and energy, Lance knew it wasn’t something anyone could pick up just by watching a couple times.  Shiro sighed and started to walk out of the hangar, having proven his point, but was stopped when Lance stepped in front of him and demanded, “Try me.  If you think what I’m doing is a waste of time, prove to me you can do it.”

Shiro started to say something before changing his mind and holding his arms up like Lance had shown him.  Smirking, Lance placed his right hand in Shiro’s and rested his left just above the Galra prosthetic.  Waiting a few moments, Lance asked, “Aren’t you gonna start?”

Shiro nodded and took a step forward, only to keep going like he was walking.  Lance matched him in each stride, his grin widening with each tiny mistake Shiro made.  Reaching the wall, Shiro paused and dropped his arms before saying, “Okay, maybe not everyone.  But that doesn’t mean it’s helping with any of the training.  We’re not going to dance battle Zarkon.”

Smling, Lance pointed finger guns at Shiro before saying, “If we did, Voltron would win!”

“That’s beside the point, Lance.  How is this helping anyone?”

Counting on his fingers dramatically, Lance said, “Pidge told me she has more control over her movement, Keith doesn’t say much but he’s getting better at working with me, even if he is a stupid mullet.  I’m pretty sure that counts as helping.”

Grabbing Shiro’s hands and pulling them back into dance position, Lance said, “Move like you’re in a box.  Forward with your left, I go back with my right.  Your right foot goes to the right and we slide our feet together.  Follow so far?  Now, I step forward with my left, and you go back with your right and we do the same thing.  It’s like we’re alternating, but waltz is easy.”

Shiro narrowed his eyes and started to say, “Lance—”

“Trust me, Shiro.  Gimme a few days to teach you, then make your decision.  That sounds fair, doesn’t it?”

Shiro looked slightly worried, but nodded and followed Lance’s instructions as he was walked through how to lead the dance.  Lance felt pride swell in his chest, as Shiro stumbled over the steps and concentrated on the position of his feet.  Noticing Shiro’s irritation at the dance, Lance said, “Just be patient.  This isn’t an overnight thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are! I hope you awesome peoples are enjoying this so far, and if there's anything you guys wanna see in this feel free to let me know! Have a nice day!


	4. Viennese Waltz

“Lance, may I have a word?”

Glancing up from what he was showing Pidge, Lance nodded at Allura and reassured the green paladin, “That’s a harder step, but I think you’re doing really well.”

Nodding, Pidge smirked and ran off to mess with her latest piece of tech, leaving Lance with Allura.  The princess held her hands together and smiled gently at Lance before stating, “I heard from Shiro that you’re teaching the others how to dance properly.”

“Well, not to brag, they’re doing really well,” Lance said with a smug smile.  Waving his hands around as he explained what he was teaching to each paladin, Lance added, “I haven’t suggested it to Hunk yet cuz he’s not as keen about the idea.  Why were you asking?  Are you gonna try and shut it down like Shiro?”

“Oh no,” Allura shook her head violently and stated, “I was just impressed.  It’s just that, upon first impression you don’t seem like someone who knows how to dance in a formal setting.”

Raising an eyebrow, Lance asked, “Is that a challenge Princess?”

“Oh course not,” Allura said, mild curiosity written on her face she added, “It’s merely been a while since I’ve actually performed myself.”

Stepping closer to Allura, Lance held his hands out and asked, “Well in that case, may I have this silent dance?”

Allura eyed Lance with the curiosity of a child before a smile broke out across her face and she moved into Lance’s position.  Smiling, Lance realized he didn’t have to teach Allura, as she probably knew more than he did.  Not hesitating, Lance led Allura in a Viennese waltz to no music, the both of them moving as one and not speaking as they moved down the hallway.

Guiding Allura into a turn, Lance felt happiness bubble up in him at the sight of the princess enjoying herself.  Allura smiled brightly and Lance sensed her wanting to stop, before leading her into a gentle spin and releasing her hand.  Turning back to Lance, Allura nodded and said, “That was rather impressive.  I’m surprised you didn’t tell us about this talent of yours sooner.”

“Hey,” Lance started, shrugging, “A guy’s gotta have some secrets.  Am I right Allura?  Besides, ballroom dancing isn’t exactly something to be bragging about.”

“On the contrary,” Allura said, excitement tingeing her voice, “I think it’s something most people wouldn’t believe until they saw it.  Like me and Shiro for example.”

Crossing his arms proudly, Lance asked, “Is there anything else you need, Allura?”

Clasping her hands together, Allura nodded and said quickly, “Would you dance with me every now and then?  I’d like to stay in practice, and Coran follows the beat of his own drum.”

Nodding, Lance held his hand up and exclaimed, “High five to seal the deal!”

Furrowing her brow, Allura paused before raising her hand like she had been taught and slapped Lance’s hand with enough force to make a satisfying sound.  It took a moment for Lance to realize he now had three people he was teaching and one person who could keep him accountable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't give the explanation for Viennese walktz because (1. It's really really hard to explain (2. I'ts even harder to dance without falling like dominos. I'm really happy you peoples like this!


	5. Cha Cha

“I really don’t think this is a good idea,” Hunk stated, worry etched onto his face.

“Chill out man,” Lance said, waving a hand dismissively.

Turning to face Hunk, Lance crossed his arms and said, “I don’t know why you’re so worried about this, it’s just a few minutes.”

Hunk raised an eyebrow and grumbled, “You were the one who dragged me into this.  I never even said I wanted to do dancing.”

Rolling his eyes, Lance smiled at his friend and stated, “How does cha-cha sound to you?  That one might be easier for you to remember.”

Sighing in defeat Hunk asked, “Are you sure you weren’t the one to take those classes and not your sister?  You seem to know more than you let on.”

Lance smiled broadly and commented, “I’m just amazing.  Besides, nobody else was really interested in ballroom dancing other than mi mamá y mi hermana.”

Hunk nodded and shifted from foot to foot awkwardly, not wanting to participate in Lance’s lesson.  Biting his lip slightly, Hunk raised his hand to ask a question and Lance paused in his speech for his friend to talk.  Shrugging and waving his hands around, Hunk asked, “How’s this gonna help with anything?  Other than boosting your ego of course.”

Lance smirked and stated, “You’ll see.  This one’s really fun.”

Moving so he was standing slightly in front of Hunk, Lance slapped his left leg and said, “Start here.  Okay rock forward with your left foot and back on your right, that’s one rock step.  Now the next part is the cha-cha bit.  The step pattern is ‘rock step, cha, cha, cha.’  On each cha, you’re gonna take a step to your left starting with your left foot.”

Demonstrating, Lance rocked forward on his left foot and slightly back on his right before sliding his left foot to the left, bringing his right foot to the left, and pausing with his left foot taking another step.  Repeating the movements, only starting the rock step going back with his right foot and stepping to the right, Lance turned to see if Hunk understood what he was doing.  Flashing a grin, Lance said, “It’s just as easy as it looks.”

Hunk hung his head and groaned, “Fantastic.  It looks really hard.”

Grinning, Lance shook his head and stated, “It only looks hard cuz you’re not actually doing it!  Also, cha-cha is a Latin dance, so you’re gonna wanna turn your feet outward slightly like a duck’s.  Not too much, but enough so they aren’t pointing straight forward like in smooth dances.”

“So wait, I’m a water fowl?” Hunk asked, his eyes flashing with confusion.

“No, no, no,” Lance explained, holding his hands up he stated, “Like a duck.  Not actually a duck.  No ducks are harmed in the dancing of cha-cha.”

Hunk frowned and said, “Are you sure?  There could’ve been some cha-cha accident involving a duck and you don’t wanna tell me.”

Shrugging passively, Lance turned his back to Hunk and said, “Just copy my movements, okay?  Rock step, cha, cha, cha, rock step—going back with your right foot this time—cha, cha, cha.”

Glancing over his shoulder again, Lance asked, “Wanna try it with me?”

Looking miserable and embarrassed, Hunk shrugged and held his arms up in the traditional way Lance had shown him.  Lance got into position with Hunk and clarified, “Right hand on my shoulder blade.  That’s so you can turn the girl and guide her if she back leads.”

Nodding, Hunk asked, “We’re just doing the basic right?  No spins, or turns, or throwing people into the air right?”

Lance laughed and confirmed, “Just the basic.  I’ll count, you lead.”

Traces of worry and confusion lingered on Hunk’s face as Lance started the count.  A few steps in, Lance realized Hunk was one beat behind the count.  Realizing his mistake, Hunk fumbled to get back on beat and sighed before letting his arms fall to his sides.  Crossing his arms, Lance said, “Well that didn’t work.  You had the footwork right, and the only thing wrong was that you were off beat.”

“I’m never gonna get this right,” Hunk mumbled, kicking the ground lightly and fiddling with his hands.

A surge of annoyance and determination filled Lance and he grabbed Hunk and pulled him back into the dance position.  Hunk looked at Lance meekly and listened as the blue paladin demanded, “You’re going to give the count this time.  I’m not gonna stop until you get it through your head that you can do whatever you set out to do.  The count is—”

“Rock step, cha, cha, cha, rock step, cha, cha, cha.  I know, Lance.”

“Good,” Lance nodded and added, “Whenever you wanna start.  You’re leading, I follow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a hard time explaining this one, but it's one of the easiest dances in my opinion. Have a great day (happy fourth of July weekend fellow Americans), and check me out on tumblr under dorkyfandomlord.


	6. Intermission

If Shiro’s nagging about the dancing wasn’t bad enough, Coran’s bragging was worse.  Just as regularly as the paladins dance lessons had become, Coran had begun bragging about his infinite knowledge on the subject.  Most of the time, Lance tried to ignore the Altean, but that only seemed to fuel the fire and encourage Coran to insist he knew what he was doing.

It was almost as if Coran was subtly asking for a lesson, but whenever Lance offered to teach, the moustache man would laugh and say he was needed on the bridge or had to repair something.  Even Shiro was getting slightly annoyed by Coran’s disruptive behavior and he was still reluctant to admit his waltz lessons were improving his near perfect footwork.

It was when Lance and Coran were both repairing a small part on Blue that the paladin said, “Allura mentioned you didn’t like ballroom dancing.”

Coran perked up without any more prompting and said cheerfully, “It’s not that I don’t like it, but I can do better!  Think about all the rules and boring steps you’re teaching the paladins, while I have my own dances!”

Sitting up straight, Lance said, “I have my own moves!  I can out dance you any day, ballroom or not!”

Coran raised an eyebrow and tugged on the end of his moustache before asking, “Is that a challenge, young paladin?”

“It’s not a challenge, but it’s the truth!” Lance exclaimed, jumping to his feet at the same time as Coran.

The Altean made a squawking noise and started flapping his arms at the same time as he moved knees together and apart.  It took Lance a moment to realize Coran had invented a dance similar to the funky chicken.  Laughing and pointing a finger at Coran, Lance stated, “Watch and learn, Coran.”

Cracking his knuckles, Lance started dancing the Macarena, putting emphasis on each movement and giving Coran a look of triumph.  Coran made a face and stated, “The honor of this dance has been passed down my family for generations!  Paladin of Voltron or not, I won’t let you upstage me!”

Neither of them stopping, Lance and Coran started exaggerating their dances in an attempt to impress the other until both of them were too tired to keep going.  Laughing slightly, Lance exhaled a long breath before saying, “Not gonna lie, that was impressive.”

Coran glanced up and beamed at Lance before asking, “What earth dance were you doing?  It reminds me of one we had on Altea.”

Happily explaining the Macarena to Coran, Lance failed to notice two figures slowly backing away from the entrance to Blue’s hangar.  In the hallway, Shiro and Allura glanced at each other before trying to suppress snickers and bouts of laughter as they recalled seeing Lance and Coran furiously trying to upstage each other with their pathetic dances.

Making their way back to the common area, Shiro asked, “What the heck was Coran doing?”

Allura laughed and said chipperly, “It’s an Altean party dance nobody participated in.  Now, what was Lance performing?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...this is what my brain does at three in the morning. I hoped ya peoples liked this bit, even if it was weird, and stay for the next installment! Also, check me out on Tumblr under dorkyfandomlord.


	7. Foxtrot

“We only have two girls.  How are we gonna rotate through?”

Lance turned around to look at his friends who all stood awkwardly in a line.  Keith crossed his arms, waiting for Lance to answer his question about the group lesson before he did anything else.  It had taken some convincing, but Lance had managed to get Shiro to agree to a group session so everyone had a chance to dance with a different partner.

Glancing at Pidge and Allura, Lance said, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.  So, um, girls on this side, boys on that side.”

Lance pointed to the opposite side of the training room, and watched as Keith, Hunk, and Shiro reluctantly moved so they were facing Allura and Pidge.  Raising his hand, Hunk asked, “If one of us has to sit this out, can I volunteer?”

Ignoring Shiro’s uncomfortable expression, Lance stood between the two groups and suppressed a slight feeling of nervousness before saying, “You’ll do fine buddy.  Alright, let’s do foxtrot.  Easy enough, right?”

Allura nodded in agreement, the name of the dance slightly familiar since Lance had started teaching her the earth names.  Turning to face Pidge and Allura, Lance took a few steps closer before saying, “Dance position is relatively easy.  Keep a big stance, arms wide, left hand on the guy’s shoulder, and keep your head turned to the left like the guy stinks.  Got it?”

Pidge nodded and held her arms up and turned her head far to the left, earning a smile and a nod from Lance while Allura did the same.  Turning his back to the girls, Lance said, “Okay then, girls foot movements.  Remember, girls start with the right cuz—”

“Cuz we’re always right!” Pidge interrupted, pride plain on her face as the other boys made sense of her joke.

Hiding a smile, Lance continued, “So, back with your right foot, back with your left, then step to the side with your right foot, and bring your left together.  Try it alone real quick, okay?”

Demonstrating one more time and calling the cadence, Lance turned to see how Pidge was doing.  The small girl moved in time to Lance’s counting, but struggled to keep her head to the left at all times.  Nodding, Lance turned to the boys and stated, “Same thing, only reversed for you.”

Hunk shifted from foot to foot, still nervous and unsure about his coordination.  Taking the man’s dance position, Lance explained, “Same as the girls, big and wide.  Girl’s right hand in your left, your right hand on her shoulder blade.  You guys got it!”

Grinning, Lance turned so his back was facing the three before saying, “You start going forward with your left.  Forward left, forward right, side left, together right.  All of you guys try, I’ll count.”

Counting for his teammates, Lance walked around and nodded, a smile making its way across his face.  Stopping his count, Lance yawned unintentionally and said, “Alright, we’re gonna rotate through partners now so everyone dances with everyone.  Guys, spread out a bit, Pidge and Allura, pair up with someone.”

Noticing Keith start to complain, Lance stated, “I didn’t forget, Keith.  Yeah, we only have two girls, but I can do both parts, remember?  You poor suckers are gonna hafta suffer with me for a rotation.”

Stepping back in line, Keith glanced at Pidge who had chosen him for the first rotation.  Allura had stood in front of Shiro, her hands clasped behind her back in anticipation to begin.  Frowning slightly at Shiro’s posture Lance slapped the black paladin’s shoulder and said, “No crossing your arms.  It looks like you don’t care and don’t wanna be here.”

“But I don’t,” Shiro stated, earning snickers from Hunk and Pidge.

Raising an eyebrow, Lance muttered, “We’re the universe’s only hope.”

Turning to Keith, Lance saw the slight confusion pass over the red paladin’s face at the difference between his and Pidge’s height.  Gently taking Pidge’s hand, Lance explained to both of them, “Since Pidge is way shorter than we are, have her keep the normal position and just hold her gently at the elbow.  Pidge, you rest your arm on Keith’s like you would his shoulder.”

Demonstrating, Lance moved Pidge to the beat of the foxtrot only to hear her ask, “So unless I hit a huge growth spurt, I’m gonna be dancing like this with you guys?”

Turning Pidge in the direction of Keith, Lance said, “Most likely.  But, hey, you never know.  You could grow like two feet in a week with the help of alien food.”

Shiro’s laugh echoed throughout the training room as Hunk rambled, “No way that sounds too much like _Alice in Wonderland_ with all the growing and shrinking food.  Now that was a scary story, you couldn’t even trust what you ate!”

Smiling, Lance waved a hand and called, “Pair up!  We’ll go through the basic step twice, and then the girls move to the next boy.”

Offering a reassuring smile to Hunk, Lance waited for everyone to be in position before he called, “One, two, side together.  One, two, side together.  Remember, the beat is slow—slow—quick—quick.  Again.  One, two, side together.”

Taking his arm off Hunk’s, Lance playfully punched his friend’s shoulder before moving onto Shiro who had been stumbling over his steps with Allura.  Slowly walking Shiro through the steps again, Lance corrected a few things the others missed or needed to look out for.  Letting Shiro lead him, Lance made sure to keep himself accountable and not back lead.

Finishing the cadence, Lance sighed before calling, “Switch!  You guys got this, keep going!”

Suppressing a smile, Lance let Keith move him a bit more timidly than Hunk and Shiro had, but he was still doing fine.  Glancing at the others, Lance stopped counting and said, “Awesome!  Take a quick break and then I’ll show you how to turn so you guys don’t run into a wall!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Foxtrot is the one dance I can actually teach to someone in person without falling on my face. I hope you peoples are enjoying this so far and have a good day!


	8. Review

“Hey Keith, c’mere for a sec,” Lance called, catching everyone’s attention.

The group sessions had been going well for the most part, nobody had died, Pidge had been getting better at not back leading, and Hunk had gained some confidence in his skills.  But still, something didn’t feel quite right about Lance, and occasionally Allura, being the only instructors.  It had taken a walk around the castle at four in the morning and a bowl of alien Fruit Loops for Lance to come up with a better idea for teaching, but his only problem was implementing it.

Glancing at the others, Lance saw they had returned to their break, taking sips of water, chatting between each other, and just having fun.  Throwing an arm around Keith’s shoulder, Lance grinned and stated, “We’re gonna work on tango next.”

Keith nodded, pride briefly flashing in his eyes before Lance added, “And you’re gonna teach it.”

“Wait, what?” Keith asked, confusion tinting his voice.

Slapping Keith on the back, Lance laughed and said, “You’ll do fine!  I’m gonna supervise, just try and make sense.  Or is that too hard for your mullet?”

Crossing his arms, Keith mumbled, “Lance I don’t think—”

“No arm crossing,” Lance interrupted, poking Keith’s shoulder.

“I don’t like this idea,” Keith stated, glancing back at the others who had started arguing over the proper way to blow up a computer.

Before he could worry too much, Lance turned back to the others and called, “Line up guys!  We’re doing tango!”

Everyone stood and teasingly shoved each other as they got into their lines, Allura and Pidge on one side while the boys were on the other.  Holding out a hand for Keith to start, Lance stepped back so he could observe and offer assistance.  Keith stood awkwardly between the two groups before stammering, “Um, the steps are kinda easy, you just gotta, um, spell out the word tango.”

Looking pointedly at Lance, Keith pointed at him and motioned for the blue paladin to join him.  Lance shrugged and approached Keith, knowing what his plan was.  In the group sessions Lance had taken to using the others for demonstrating what the dances looked like when done with a partner, Keith was going to do the same thing.

Letting Keith take his hand and pull him into the dance position, Lance listened as Keith explained with growing confidence, “Girls hold your arms like this, Pidge you know the adjustment hold works just as well.  You guys are gonna wanna keep your arms not too loose, but not too stiff.  That way, the guy can move you with ease.”

Glancing at Pidge and Allura, Lance saw they were nodding in understanding.  Keith dropped Lance’s hand and started to explain the footwork for the girls, while the boys practiced their dance positions.  Stepping back, Lance smirked proudly as Keith began his explanation for the boys and ran through the cadence without music.  Locking eyes with Keith for a brief moment, Lance saw excitement in the other boy’s eyes as they started to pair up for a run through of the basic step.

~`~

Hunk shook his head adamantly while the others counted the foxtrot cadence aloud and attempted the promenade step Lance had just taught.  Lance pouted and asked, “Please, Hunk?  Buddy?  Pal?”

“No, Lance, I can’t!” Hunk said, waving his hands around nervously and glancing at the others, “I can’t just teach Cha Cha without any advance warning!  You do it.”

Lance sighed and rubbed the back of his neck while he explained, “I sprung it on Keith too.  C’mon man, it’ll be fun and you know you’re the best Cha Cha dancer there is on this ship.”

“Aside from you, you mean?”

“That’s an obvious,” Lance teased, earning a slight smile from his friend.

Hunk’s shoulders slumped as he mumbled, “You’re gonna make me do it anyway, aren’t you?”

Shrugging, Lance said, “Maybe, probably, most likely, yes.  Hunk, if Keith can teach tango and not kill anyone, I think you can manage this.”

Nodding, Hunk sighed, “Fine!  But you owe me.”

Grinning widely, Lance clapped his hands, signaling the break was over, and watched as Hunk started carefully explaining the basic Cha Chan step.  Taking a page from Keith’s book, Hunk showed everyone the dance position with Allura before slowly explaining the steps involved and counting the cadence with pride.  Crossing his arms over his chest, Lance smiled at his friend only to jump when Pidge shrieked, “HE’S CROSSING HIS ARMS!”

Blinking, Lance realized his mistake while everyone jumped on him about what he had done.  Holding his hands up in surrender, Lance laughed while Shiro nagged at him for setting a bad example before they returned their attention to Hunk who had loosened up and was happily explaining the confusing bits of the dance.

~`~

“Alright losers get in line!  You’re learning swing!”

Lance coughed into his arm to hide his laugh, while Pidge bossed everyone around in her attempt to get order.  Shiro gave Lance a look of resentment while Pidge started telling Allura the swing steps for the girls.  Shrugging, Lance stood in line with the other boys, watching Pidge as she expertly explained to the boys how to do make their rock steps faster to match the beat.

Without warning, Pidge grabbed Lance by the wrist and said, “Watch Lance, okay?  Then we’ll do the parts individually and then together.”

Pidge pulled herself into dance position and looked at Lance expectantly, amusement twinkling in her eyes as the others watched expectantly.  Shrugging, Lance started to move Pidge in the swing basic while she called, “One, two, three, one, two, three, rock step. And repeat!”

Leading Pidge into an underarm turn, Lance watched as she spun once more and stopped in front of the boys, a smirk plain on her face.  Snapping her fingers, Pidge ordered, “Once through alone, once in pairs, then we’ll rotate.  Sound good, Lance?”

Not expecting Pidge to ask him for confirmation, Lance nodded and offered a smile to the girl.  Grinning widely, Pidge stood on the side next to Allura and started the count, leading the others through the basic and making pride rush through Lance.

~`~

“Just like that, big steps Keith.  Hunk, be a bit more assertive and show you’re the one leading.”

Lance smiled and watched as Shiro walked around talking to the others and giving them tips on how to improve their waltz positions.  When he suggested Shiro teach the waltz class, there was no argument whatsoever.  Shiro turned from correcting Pidge’s hold on Keith’s arm to motion for Lance to join him on the floor.  Standing up, Lance wandered over and let Shiro take him into the position and lead him around the others to help improve their awareness of their surroundings.

Allura and Hunk paired well for this dance, both able to move to the slower paced dance with ease and work together on their turns.  Keith and Pidge had clashed at first, but had figured if they worked together and learned the harder steps, they had to rely on the other more.  Shiro drew Lance’s attention back to the dance by asking, “How are they doing?  Am I explaining this right?”

Lance nodded as they passed Allura and Hunk, “Duh.  I think you need to switch partners soon though.”

Nodding in agreement, Shiro called for everyone to switch partners, congratulating everyone on something they did well.  Taking a new partner, Shiro started to carefully tell everyone how to do a turn, still making sure he had Lance’s look of approval before he continued.

~`~

“No!  Try and take it slower!  Pidge, you have to step into Shiro, not around him.”

Lance suppressed a snicker as Allura broke the pair apart and start to try and explain the footwork of the Viennese waltz for the fifth time.  In Lance’s opinion, the Viennese waltz was the hardest dance to do, but Allura wanted to teach the lesson so much he couldn’t say no.

Allura threw her hands in the air and said, “Everyone stand in a circle.  We’ll do the steps individually before be try with partners.”

Joining the group, Lance watched as Allura started counting the steps while everyone stumbled on their own to maintain the dance position and keep up with the count.  Lance could see the beginning of a disaster when Shiro tripped over his feet and fell forward on Keith.  Everyone was in too small a circle to move out of the way, and Keith fell against Pidge, who collided into Lance, who then toppled onto Allura, who slammed into Hunk.

Stunned silence filled the room before Lance started laughing.  Everyone untangled themselves from each other while Lance rolled on the floor and yelled, “We’re like a line of dominos!  We shoulda seen that coming!”

A few snickers from Hunk and Pidge joined Lance’s own cackling, before Keith doubled over grabbing his sides and silently gasped for breath.  Shiro bit his lip nervously, knowing he had caused the pileup, but the giggling from Allura made him break and join in with a few snorts at his own clumsiness.

Rolling onto his back in an attempt to calm down, Lance glanced at his friends and felt warmth rise in his chest at the sight of them being happy.  Closing his eyes, Lance listened as they tried to stop laughing only to burst into another fit of giggles.  In that moment, that was all Lance needed to feel at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And das all. I'm going to do a follow-up fic where Lance is shipped with each paladin in each chapter, so stay on the look out for that. Thanks for reading and leaving comments and kudos (it means a lot)!
> 
> Also, check out my  my voltron side blog  for more stuffs!

**Author's Note:**

> So that's my first chapter! I do take ballroom dancing lessons myself but I am a novice. If something isn't clear in the way of the dancing instructions, grammar, characters, etc please don't hesitate to let me know so I can fix it!


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